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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23941864">I’ll Always Be Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calieus/pseuds/Calieus'>Calieus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Friendship, Injury, M/M, Mild Blood, New Mexico, Time Travel, early 2000's references, stuck in the early 2000's</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:20:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23941864</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calieus/pseuds/Calieus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Len and Rip get stuck in 2004 and must live life together until the Legends come and rescues them. After missing for days Len shows up injured and Rip must help take care of him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rip Hunter/Leonard Snart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Arrowverse Under Quarantine</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I’ll Always Be Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenViolet/gifts">HiddenViolet</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the Arrowverse Quarantine exchange for the prompts TimeCaptain and Sick/Injured. This was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it! I resisted the urge to make the title another Yellowcard song lyric title, but it's somewhat inspired by the song Southern Air. I also used 2004 as an excuse to make a specific reference. Thanks to my amigo Pan for looking this over for me. ;w;</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rip throws his pencil onto the paper littered kitchen table, groaning in frustration. Another day gone by of trying to think of ideas of how to get out of here. After an attack involving evil green-chiles left the Legends fleeing, Rip and Snart got left behind in 2004 Albuquerque. Not their fault they couldn’t see the giant wall of tomatoes coming straight at them. Rip slinks down in the wooden chair and looks at the cream-colored ceiling of the small trailer he managed to secure. The longer they’re trapped here they more they’ll get too attached.</p>
<p>“I knew I should have built some distress signals.”</p>
<p>Letting out a sigh Rip adjusts himself in his seat and looks back at the papers. He’ll continue this tomorrow. Gathering up his mess, Rip gets up and walks out of the kitchen into the living room. He spares a quick glance at the red couch on his left. No Snart again. At first Rip was concerned about him leaving so often and coming back real late or in this case not coming home for five days. However, on one late night Snart told him not to worry and that was that but Rip still worries anyways. He walks past the living room, down the small hallway on the right, and to his room at the end of the hall. Rip nearly tosses the papers on the floor, but he doesn’t and walks to his bed to set them down. Exiting the room Rip wonders what he should do next.</p>
<p>“I guess there’s the television,” he says. “Or I can try baking something again.”</p>
<p>Rip considers it for a moment, if he bakes then it won’t be done for a few hours and that means less sleep for him. He may be able to handle late nights, but lately being able to get the required hours of sleep is a blessing.</p>
<p>“I guess I’ll watch the telly.”</p>
<p>Heading into the living room Rip walks to the couch and sits down. This couch came with the trailer which saved him a trip to a furniture store. Grabbing the remote on the end table Rip turns on the blocky TV, flips through some channels, and lands on an episode of <em>That 70’s Show</em>. He sinks into the couch and relaxes.</p><hr/>
<p>At some point Rip must have fallen asleep because he wakes up to loud banging on the front door, which is right next to the couch. He groans and tries to go back to sleep, nope not dealing with this. The banging doesn’t stop.</p>
<p>“Alright fine I’m coming!” Rip yells as he gets up from the couch. “Just stop with the banging.”</p>
<p>When Rip opened the door, he somewhat expected a sketchy salesperson and not a bruised Snart clutching his blood-stained side. Rip stands there in shock at the scene before him out of all the times for Snart to come back it would be when he’s beaten up. Snart does glance at him with a look that says ‘don’t say a word’ before he pushes past Rip and heads down the hall, probably to the bathroom. Rip stares after him and when Snart’s out of sight Rip closes the door.</p>
<p>“What did you get yourself into now,” he mutters.</p>
<p>Knowing better than to follow him Rip goes back to sit on the couch. He grabs the remote and flips through the channels until he ends up on Scrubs. Sitting the remote to the side Rip relaxes onto the couch and focuses on the episode. A guy appears on the screen who looks exactly like Thawne-Harrison Wells introduces himself as being J. D’s older brother. Rip stares at the screen in disbelief. Did Thawne try out acting at some point in his career or was this Earth’s Wells an actor already before the body snatch? He’ll need to ask Gideon about that at some point. Rip focuses back on the episode; the brother, named Dan, is getting along great with Elliot and J. D hates that.</p>
<p> “He’s getting along fine with her,” says Rip. “Why are you being so annoyed at that?”</p>
<p>Rip doesn’t get to ponder on that much longer before he hears a loud bang followed by some cursing. He turns his head towards the hall.</p>
<p>“Are you doing alright Mr. Snart?”</p>
<p>There’s a grunt before the reply; “Yes I am doing just peachy thanks for asking.”</p>
<p>“Alright then…”</p>
<p>Rip goes back to the TV where a scene plays out of J. D being jealous of his brother. That’s something Rip can’t blame him for because Dan’s way more handsome than he is for one. Another bang draws Rip’s attention away from the TV and back to the bathroom’s direction.</p>
<p>“Um, Mr. Snart?” he asks. There’s no reply.</p>
<p>Getting up from the couch Rip runs down the hall and to the bathroom that’s right next to his bedroom on the left. He grabs the knob and discovers that it’s locked, of course. Rip steps back then kicks the bathroom door open. Snart is shirtless on the ground clutching the edge of the bathtub, side covered in blood and there’s various rags on the floor. Rip rushes over to him, being careful to not trip over him or the toilet.</p>
<p>“For god’s sake Snart what the hell did you do,” asks Rip as he grabs a towel from the rack.</p>
<p>“I thought I said to not ask questions,” Snart says. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”</p>
<p>“You’re on the floor bleeding and covered in smaller cuts and bruises. This is hardly fine.” Rip presses the towel to Snart’s side who groans in pain. “Sorry, hold that there for me, will you?”</p>
<p>Snart does as he’s told, and Rip looks around the room. He’s going to need a lot of bandages. Rip gets up and opens the mirror cabinet, inside there’s a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and various probably expired medicines. He grabs the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and sets that aside, just in case. Then Rip opens the bottom cabinets and thankfully finds a few boxes of bandages, he grabs two boxes.</p>
<p>“For a time-lord you’re really slow you know that?”</p>
<p>“I can go way slower if you would like,” says Rip. “We’re going to need to clean the wound. Can you get up and move into the bathtub?”</p>
<p>With some difficulty and no retort Snart pulls himself up and slides into the tub. There’s a grunt of pain, but Snart leans his head against the shower wall and he seems to relax. Rip walks back over and grabs the extendable shower head.</p>
<p>“Remove your hand and towel please,” Rips says as he reaches for the cold water. The water sprays out and onto Snart’s covered legs, but he doesn’t flinch at all. Rip gets on his knees and aims the nozzle at the wound. Blood and dirt wash away down the drain. Once the wound is free of blood Rip can inspect it more closely.</p>
<p>“You really ought to be more careful Snart,” Rip says as he inspects the gash on Snart’s side. It’s not that deep thankfully.</p>
<p>“That’s a bit ironic coming from the guy who willingly puts himself into dangerous situations using a time machine.” Rip rolls his eyes at the comment. He doesn’t, do it willingly these things just happen.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to ask what happened,” says Rip. “But I must know what weapon or otherwise attacked you.” Snart shifts a little in his spot.</p>
<p>“A knife. It was a knife for the cut and the other stuff is from punches.” Rip looks closer at the wound; it does look like a knife slashed through him. He won’t ask any questions. “I’m going to wash it with some soap so this might potentially sting a little.”</p>
<p>“Just get this over with.”</p>
<p>Rip reaches for the bar of soap, wets it, then rubs it into his hand before setting it down on the toilet. There’s no flinch as Rip rubs the soap over the wound. He rinses it off before repeating the process a few times. Once Rip is satisfied that it won’t get infected and that it’s stopped bleeding for now, he turns off the water and looks at Snart.</p>
<p>“We have two options here,” he says. “Either you can finish the job yourself because you do need a shower, or I can finish it.”</p>
<p>There’s a short silence before Snart replies. “I can finish it thank you,” he says. “But I do want you to stay here just to make sure I don’t trip and fall.”</p>
<p>“I can do that,” says Rip as he moves away. “Soap is right there on the toilet. I’ll go grab you some fresh clothes.”</p>
<p>Turning around Rip leaves the bathroom and heads to what is Snart’s room at the other end of the hall. He opens the door and goes to the dresser. Inside the top drawer is a few pairs of blue shirts, black pants, and underwear. Rip grabs the clothes and heads back to the bathroom where the shower is running. He sets the clothes on the toilet.</p>
<p>“Clothes are on the toilet Snart.”</p>
<p>“Noted,” says Snart. “And one more thing, call me Len.”</p>
<p>Rip raises an eyebrow in surprise. “Alright, Sna…Len.” The name will take some getting used too. He leans against the bathroom sink and waits for Len to finish his shower.</p><hr/>
<p>Placing a handful of mini marshmallows into the mug Rip picks it up and heads out into the living room. Len is lying on the couch watching a rerun episode of <em>The Sopranos</em>. Rip hands him the mug which Len takes. He sits up which allows for Rip to sit down next to him. Making himself comfortable Rip leans back on the sofa and focuses on the TV.</p>
<p>“At least this place has mini marshmallows,” says Len.</p>
<p>“You get hurt and your main concern is the mini marshmallows?” Rip asks as he turns to look at Len with a pointed look.</p>
<p>“What? If any place doesn’t have them, I’d be concerned,” Len says. “And it’s not like I haven’t gotten hurt before. I’ve taken a lot worse.”</p>
<p>Rip shakes his head and turns back to the TV. He has never seen this show, so he has no idea what is happening. Beside him he hears Len sipping on his hot chocolate. The silence is a bit awkward, but as Rip promised no questions on what happened would be asked. He looks for the remote and sees it laying between them. Rip grabs it and points it at the TV.</p>
<p>“Is it alright if I change the channel?”</p>
<p>“Go for it.”</p>
<p>Pressing the button Rip flips through the channels to find something to watch. Early 2000’s TV has one to many sit-coms as he passes through five different ones. He stops on MTV at the end of some music video where a display graphic says the next one is a world premier for a song called <em>Ocean Avenue</em> after commercial. Rip sets down the remote and leans back on the sofa.</p>
<p>“I remember that song,” says Len. “It was huge for a while there.”</p>
<p>“Was? It’s still widely played in the future as a part of super old punk rock pop songs.”</p>
<p>There’s no reply as Len sets down his now empty mug on the floor. Rip watches him as Len scoots closer to him and makes himself comfortable by putting his head on Rip’s lap, long legs hanging off the edge of the couch. The sudden change makes Rip immediately focus back onto the TV; this is a very unusual situation.</p>
<p>“Don’t ask questions,” Len says. “Just go with it.”</p>
<p>“…Right.”</p>
<p>On the TV it switches back from commercial and another display graphic says the name of the <em>Ocean Avenue</em> music video. The video starts and Rip isn’t too intrigued by it since he’s seen it before but being here to see its debut is kind of neat. In his lap Len scoots a little closer and then there’s a hand on Rip’s hand. Rip’s eyes raise in shock from the touch, he wants to say something but doesn’t. He focuses on the video as Len just holds his hand and says nothing about it. Rip feels like there’s something happening and a change is coming, though what that it is he has no idea.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>After writing this I got more ideas so I'm probably going to add more to it later.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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